Head injury killed her: Autopsy report

Tribune News Service

Faridkot, May 4

The post-mortem of Arshdeep Kaur, a 13-year-old girl who was allegedly molested and pushed off an Orbit Aviation Company bus by her molesters in Moga district five days ago, has suggested head injury as prima facie cause of death.

The post-mortem was conducted at Guru Gobind Singh Medical College and Hospital Faridkot yesterday evening. A panel of three doctors, including a gynaecologist, a surgeon and a forensic expert in the college, conducted the autopsy. The gynaecologist was the chairperson of the panel.

While the viscera of the deceased has been sent to Patiala for chemical examination, the preliminary examination of the deceased by the doctors during autopsy found that she had died of a traumatic head injury, probably after she was pushed off the moving bus. There were many tissue injuries, including contusions and abrasions, small gashes and minor burns after she fell off the bus. “The head injury she suffered proved to be fatal. It was a traumatic brain injury that happened when the brain was jarred or shaken hard enough to bounce against the skull,” the panel suggested.

4-day remand for accused

Moga: All the four alleged accused, including the driver and conductor, were produced before the court today. Jatinder Singh Khaira, SSP, said the court had remanded the accused in four-day police custody. “The investigations are in progress and we will soon present a challan before the court,” he said. Amar Singh Chahal, DIG, Ferozepur range, said so far the police had got three eyewitnesses to the incident, including the victim’s mother Shinder Kaur, her son Akashdeep Singh and one Tarsem Singh, working in the Horticulture Department as an inspector. Tightlipped on details of the ongoing investigations, both the police officers claimed it was a “very strong case”.

The police had arrested Sukhwinder Singh (conductor), Ranjit Singh (driver), Gurdip Singh and Amarjit Singh (both helpers) within 24 hours of the incident, which occurred on April 29. A criminal case under Section 302, 307, 354, 34 and 120-B of the IPC, Section 3 of the SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities Act and relevant sections of the Prevention of Atrocities against Children Act was registered at the Baghapurana police station.

During the course of investigations, the police had managed to secure the driver’s licence for verification, but the route permit issued by the Transport Department was yet to be procured by the probe officer, said sources.